Dick Yuengling Jr.

Business administration, 1966

President, D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. brewing company

I enjoyed my collegiate experience, especially having the opportunity to play baseball for Budd Whitehill. But I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, so I had my mind set on working at the family brewery in Pottsville, Pa. Twenty years later I would buy the company from my father and become president.

I am the fifth-generation Yuengling to own the business. When I assumed control in 1985, sales were sluggish and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. So, I reintroduced a decades-old lager and added a light beer to the production line, which helped bolster sales. I also bought a production and distribution plant in Tampa, Fla., in 1999 to make important inroads throughout the Southeast. From 1997 to 2007, I doubled the company's volume.

Today, Yuengling is ranked fourth in the industry. Family owned and operated since 1829, we are America's Oldest Brewery.